Officers attached to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have questioned Nakuru Town East Member of Parliament, David Gikaria, over the recent spate of killings in the county.
Speaking to the press on Tuesday, June 28, Rift Valley DCI boss, Mwenda Meme, confirmed that Gikaria had been summoned to the county headquarters for questioning.
The UDA MP was summoned after allegations of his association with the 'confirm' gang, which has been reigning terror on the residents, surfaced.
Rift Valley Regional Commissioner, Maalim Mohammed, stated that members of the public had identified some of the individuals who recorded statements with the police. He disclosed that Gikaria, his son, and Nakuru West MP, Samuel Arama, had been mentioned in the statements hence the summoning.
"We received reports from the residents that certain individuals were involved and even identified their associates. Today, some of the leaders have recorded statements and we will ensure that they appear in court," the county boss stated.
"Among those mention is Gikaria from Nakuru East, whose son has also been mentioned. Once named, you must come forward to clear your name."
Maalim revealed that the ringleader of the gang, who sponsored the gang members and planned how they raid houses, had been named and the police had launched a manhunt for him.
He added that anyone who will be found armed with crude weapons will be classified as armed and dangerous and will be dealt with accordingly. He also added that so far 128 suspects had been placed in police custody.
Maalim added there were drug barons operating in the county and who supplied the members with substances such as heroin and marijuana. He added that the officers had identified hotspots in the area and an operation has since been launched.
His summons come barely days after Interior Cabinet Secretary, Fred Matiang'i, and the Inspector General of Police, Hillary Mutyambai, called for a sting operation to flush out the gang.
Matiang'i noted that the police would brutally deal with the gang and that adequate measures had been put in place to contain the radical group. He called for members of the organization to surrender failure to which they would be dealt with mercilessly.
Apart from engaging in robbery, the gang has been linked to multiple femicides. The 'Confirm' gang is accused of targeting women in their homes, sexually assaulting them, and in some extreme cases killing them by strangulation before burning their bodies as a way of concealing evidence.
Witnesses claim that the young men would pose as power utility firm staff taking metre readings. Once they establish that the women were alone, they would attack them in broad daylight.
This is not the first time MP Gikaria has been linked to the group. In May 2019, the lawmaker publicly defended the gang and its activities after the group was accused of defrauding locals.
In September 2020, the lawmaker was apprehended following clashes between Nakuru-based matatu operators and police officers.
